2013 Ford Mustang will be the EcoBoost 400 Pacecar

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, will be November 15 -17th, 2013 and will feature a 2013 Ford Mustang as the pacecar; leading the pack this Sunday during the Ford Championship Weekend during the Ford EcoBoost 400 season finale Sunday. The one-of-a-kind ponycar was built for the all-new, Need for Speed movie and video game. The car will be driven by one of the film’s stars, Ramon Rodriguez.

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“When the opportunity to showcase the ‘Need for Speed’ Mustang at our marquee event came up a few months ago it was a no-brainer to make it the centerpiece of Ford Championship Weekend,” Tim Duerr, Ford Racing motorsports marketing manager, said. “We have always tried to incorporate some of our latest products that make up Ford’s versatile car and truck lineup.”

If you weren’t aware, Mustang is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and with it will be a custom car designed by Ford for the DreamWorks Studios’ movie “Need for Speed” coming to theaters on March 14, 2014. Also, the same custom 2013 Ford Mustang will be a playable vehicle in the Electronic Arts’ video game entitled “Need for Speed Rivals.”

“The heritage of Mustang is unlike any other automobile in America,” Steve Ling, Ford car marketing manager, said. “With Mustang being a central character in this racing-oriented movie, it seemed only fitting to showcase the car here at Homestead and help serve as a great springboard to our various celebrations recognizing 50 years of Mustang in 2014.”

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Ford has confirmed the engine will feature a “larger intake to feed its supercharged, 900 hp V-8 engine.” Rumor has it the pacecar will feature a 5.8L Shelby GT500 engine. To help keep the engine cool will be an enlarged lower grille with corner air intakes to cool the front brakes. The Mustang will ride on a custom, lowered suspension. The exterior will have lots of aerodynamic modifications along with fog lamps with LED halo lamps, wider fenders, 22-inch wheels, and a paint job with blue stripes that glow when struck by light in the dark.

Tune-in to ESPN this Sunday November 17th, 2013 for the Ford EcoBoost 400 which airs at 3:00 PM EST. The 2013 Ford Mustang will kick off the 267 lap, 400.5 mile race. The original Ford EcoBoost 400 was held in 1999, and has been the final race in the Sprint Cup Series season since 2002.